1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of toy dolls, and in particular, talking dolls.
2. Background Art
In an effort to produce a toy doll or figure which will appear more lifelike to a user such as a child, the prior art has utilized various systems for producing speech or other sounds from the figures. Typical of these are mechanical sound producing devices which produce sounds in response to compression or other movement of the figure by the child or means for selecting randomly selected pre-recorded messages in response to activation by the user.
More recently, dolls have been designed which provide vocal responses dependent upon the movement of particular appendages, (Tepper et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,960) and dolls which have articulated face movements and automatic movement of arms and legs in conjunction with prerecorded speeches (Noll, U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,200).
With the advent of relatively low priced integrated circuits, dolls having a digitally synthesized voice have been produced. One such doll is disclosed in Stowell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,245 (1982). The doll of Stowell includes a digital controller which stores a plurality of sounds. The digital controller is coupled to a speech synthesizer and the various sounds are produced through a speaker in response to signals produced by a motion detector which changes in response to movement of the doll. The doll of Stowell produces sounds which are generated by frequency of motion of the doll. The sounds produced do not relate directly to the position of the doll but rather to the movement the doll is undergoing. This has the disadvantage of requiring the child to constantly move the doll in order to produce a sound. Additionally, the sounds produced by the doll are not easily reproducible in the doll by the user, the sounds being independent of doll position and being related to frequency of motion. Finally, no doll has been produced which responds to spoken words.
Therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a talking doll or toy which produces spoken words or phrases based on touching certain areas of the doll or in response to spoken words.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a talking doll or toy which will reduce the power consumed when the doll or toy is stationery for a certain period of time.